Window channel structure



Feb. 16, 1965 B. R. GERULIS WINDOW CHANNEL STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FICEZE Filed Aug. 29, 1963 FIE. .7.

2 8 A w r,/// //////r// 3 Feb. 16, 1965 a. R. GERULIS WINDOW CHANNEL STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1963 F155 FIEL7 FIE.E

INVENTOR. Bra/talc? P. 6312041:

United States Patent Office 3,169,233 td ENDS?? (1H INEL STRUCTURE Benedict Rt Gerulis, 6517 37th Ave. N., Minneapolis 27, Minn. Filed Aug. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 3%,428

l ll. iii-52} This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a window channel or sash guide structure.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple construction of a sash guide structure which can be easily and quickly assembled and which can be readily and accurately inserted within a window frame with no particularly skilled labor being required.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a sash guide structure which is substantially non-conductive of heat or cold and which forms of itself in connection with the associated sash an effective weather seal.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a sash guide structure which has a substantially frictionless and freely slidable surface to accommodate the associated sash.

It is more specifically an object of this invention to provide a sash guide structure comprising a spring loaded removable self-retaining backing plate yieldingly urging said sash guide structure into an operative relationship with the associated sash.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation on a reduced scale of the inside of a wall having a window construction embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 as indicated;

PEG. 3 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section on an enlarged scale taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 as indicated;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale in vertical section showing a detail of applicants invention;

FIG. 5 is a broken view in perspective showing applicants invention;

PEG. 6 is an exploded view in horizontal section showg parts of applicants invention;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing parts of applicants invention in partially assembled condition; and

PEG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing applicants invention in assembled condition.

With reference to the drawings, and more particularly with reference to FIGS. 1-3, a window construction of conventional design is indicated comprising a window frame it) having a header 3.2, a sill 13, and side rails or jambs 14, with only one of said side rails being here shown. An outer stop strip extends about the top and sides of the frame at the outer face thereof and an inner com osite stop strip i7 extends around the top and sides of the inner face of said frame comprising a plain strip 18 and an overlying decorative molding strip 19.

Slidably carried in said frame is an upper sash 23 having a top rail 24 and oppositely disposed stiles 2S, and a lower sash 23 comprising a bottom rail 29, oppositely disposed stiles 30, and the meeting rails of said sash 23 and 28 are indicated by the character 32. Said window frame is shown in FIG. 1 with an inner facing molding or trim strip 33 at the top and sides thereof.

With reference to FIG. 3, it is seen that the stop strips 16 and 17 and the side rail 14 define a vertical sash channel 35. Disposed in said channel 35 is applicants novel window channel or sash guide member 39. It is to Eddfiiiid Patented Feb. 16, 1%65 be understood that said sash channel is present at either inner side of said window frame with applicants sash guide member being installed in each of said channels and that the construction of either side of said window frame is a counterpart of the other side. The structure at only one side of said-window frame is here illustrated and described.

The view in FIG. 2 indicating the installation of applicants window guide 39 shows a rear view thereof. Applicants window guide member will be of a length to correspond to the length of any given window channel.

With reference to FIG. 5, applicants window guide member 39 comprises a channel member 46 formed of a suitable material. It has been found that one desirable form of such material is polyvinyl chloride and that applicants guide member may be readily formed of this material as an extrusion. Said member will have some degree of flexibility yielding to transverse and longitudinal stress. The material provides a good sliding substantially friction free surface and is sufficiently non-conductive to form a good insulating material and thus provides a self-forming weather seal in connection with the sash associated therewith.

The member 4% comprises a central web or plate-like bridge member 42 having sash guide channel portions 43 and 4 3 at either side thereof, said channel portions here being shown at substantially rectangular in cross section. Said channel portions comprise forwardly facing sides 45 and 46, rearward sides 4-7 and 48, adjacent inward sides 45? and Si) and remote outer sides 51 and 52. Said forwardly facing sides 45 and 46 are respectively spaced from said side Walls &9 and 52 to form slots 54 and 55 therebetween, with said slots opening into the passages 56 and 57 respectively formed within said channels and extending the full lengths thereof. Extending outwardly of the outer walls 51 and S2 at right angles thereto are flange portions 5? and so having right-angled rearwardly extending sides as and 62 parallel to one another and adapted to be seated within and bear against the adjacent side walls of the window channel 3d, as indicated in FIG. 3.

The rear sides 47 and 4-3 of said channel portions 43 and 4-4 extend outwardly sidewise in the plane of said rear sides to form flange portions 65 and 66.

Said web portion 42 is positioned substantially centrally of the depth of said side walls 49 and 50. Said channel portions 33 and 44 with their respective slots 54 and 55 form the forwardly facing portion of the channel member 49.

A backing pressure plate member is removably secured to the rearward facing portion of said channel member 40 overlyin the same. Said backing plate will be formed to have a slightly concaved central longitudinal portion 71, and extending outwardly thereof are angled wing-like side portions 73 and '74 having an angular cross sectional relationship therewith and having inwardly turned free end portions 75 and 76 respectively forming finger-like flange portions.

The respective lines of juncture of said wing-like portions 73 and 74 and the central portion 71 are well rounded to form bead-like outward projections 78 and 79. At the free ends of said wing-like portions 73 and 74 there will be a spread or width somewhat less than the width or distance between the free edges of the flange portions 65 and 66. Said backing plate member 70 will be formed of a suitable material such as of sheet metal which will have a spring-like or resilient quality resisting the spread screws.

Disposed insaid passages 56 and 57 are sash balancing springs 91 which will be securedto the upper end portions of the rear sides 47 and 48 by terminal hook-like portions of said spring which is a conventional design for securing said springs and is not here illustrated. The.

lower ends of said sprin s 91 willbe equipped with sash engaging hook like members 92 which will be seated in accommodating recessed portions formed in the bottom edge portion of the respective sash. The sash balancing elements comprising the springs 91 and hooks 92 here illustrated are not intended to represent any patentable novelty but are merely intended to bejof a conventional design and are included to show applicants device as' a fully operative structure. a

With reference to FIG. 3, it is noted that the stiles 25 and 30 ofthe sash 23 and 28 at their outer sides arev provided with grooves 26 and 31 to receive therein the forward projections of the channel portions 43 and 44.

I Operation Applicants sash guide member 39 as an integral unit is installed within the sash channels at either'inner side of a window frame structure. The unit is placed in the sash channel 35 and is secured therein by the screws 83. The

pressure exerted by the backing pressure plate and the springs 85 to form a very effective weather seal in connection with the sash. It is to be understood that the use of springs though desirable, is not essential. The pressure exerted will be adjusted to permit a ready raising or lowering of the sash.

The specific sash balancing elements shown indicate a conventional design. These elements are installed at the point of manufacture and assembly are here included merely to present a complete sash guide member and not to indicate a particular element of novelty. v

The essential elements of patentable novelty that provide new and useful improvement are found in the springlike backing plate having removable self engagement with the guide member portion of applicants invention so that there is a very easy time-saving assembly of applicants total structure. Further, with applicants invention completely assembled at its point of manufacture, it isvery readily and quickly installed as an assembled unit within a window frame structure assuring an arcuate fit into the window channel andwith the associated sash.

Thus the applicant has provided a very simply constructed and simply assembled sash guide structure which width of the sash guide member is in accordance with a I 4 standard dimension as to width for sash channels, hence there'is. no fitting requirement for this installation and there is thus no need for the application of particularly skilled labor. The screws 83 readily adjust the degree of tioned by a snapping or springing action, as illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, with the coil springs 85 first'having been positioned upstanding from the rear side of the web por tion 42. e

The wing-like portions 73 and74 together with the central portion 70 of the backing plate form a spring-like member. The wing portions must be spread, as illustrated, to embrace the flanges 65 and'ee, and thus said flanges are engaged by said finger-like portions under tension.

Said finger-like portions overlap the inner sides of said 1 flanges sufficiently to provide for substantial flexing action without becoming disengaged therefrom.

It will be understood that the apertured recesses 82 in the web 42 are formed after the guide member 40 has been extruded and also at such time will be cut into desired lengths. The backing plate will have the apertures 82 appropriately formed therein.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the projections of the channel portions 43 and 44 fit very nicely into the accommodating grooves of the associatedsash. There will be suflicient is adapted for ready and accurate installation. This invention has'proved to be very successful in commercial use. .7 a

It will of coursebe understood that various changes maybe made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the. scope of applicants invention which, generally stated, consists in a structure capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A sash guide structure having in combination,

' an elongated sash guide member comprising a pair of spaced channel portions having a connecting web' therebetween and havingextended frame portions at the remote sides thereof to engage the side walls of a window channel,

said channel portions being substantially rectangular in cross section, coplanar oppositely extending flange portions formed as transverse projections of the rear .walls of said channel portions and having a span less than the span of said extended frame portions, and 1 r a spring-like backing plate member extending longitudinally of said guide member overlying a substantial central portion of the rear side thereof, said plate member comprising a central longitudinal portion and side portions at either side thereof having a wing-like cross sectional relationship therewith, inwardly turned fiinger-like flange portions at the free ends of said side portions, said free ends being spaced apart a distance less than the span of said coplanar flange portions whereby said finger-like flange portions in" being spread by pressure against the back of said coplanar flange portions engage and embrace said flange portions under tension.

7 References Cited by the Exam 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,848,760 s/ss' Hetting er et al. 2 0 -52.2 2,903,754 9/59 Vredberg 20-522 x 3,116,520 1/64 MacGregor 20--52.2

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, PI ima ry Erqminer. 

